Health Policy Manag.  2022 Sep;32(3):330-333. 10.4332/KJHPA.2022.32.3.330.

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic and Human Rights of Health Professionals: Focused on Public Health Doctors

• Hong S

• KMID: 2534962
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4332/KJHPA.2022.32.3.330

Abstract

Korea’s quarantine response to the novel coronavirus (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) pandemic is based on the sacrifice of health professionals, especially public health doctors (PHDs) who were called out first and put in the first place in the country. PHDs performed major quarantine tasks, such as collecting samples from screening clinics and epidemiological investigations, in various parts of the country, including the Daegu area, where the first large-scale COVID-19 confirmed cases in Korea and explosively increased. Because of their position as fixed-term civil servants, however, PHDs’ professionalism as doctors was ignored, and they were not properly compensated for their work. They were also exposed to problems such as a high risk of infection, mental suffering, and various human rights violations. We must prepare concrete measures to improve the fundamental treatment of PHDs and protect their human rights in order to prepare for a possible infectious disease pandemic in the future.

Keyword

Novel coronavirus pandemic; COVID-19; Health professional; Public health doctor